Tony Gum, an artist who has who has captured my attention with her unique art launches her first-ever solo exhibition in Cape Town at the Christopher Moller Gallery, Kloof Nek, Cape Town on Friday, 29 September, 2017. Titled, ‘Ode to She’, the solo exhibition centres around Tony Gum’s explorations, discoveries and understanding of the teachings by her elders of what it means to be a Xhosa woman. Through ‘Ode To She’ Tony Gum wants to reiterate the power and representation of Xhosa women, acknowledging their multifaceted roles, complex experiences of self, family and society.
‘Ode To She’ is presented as an intimate still life, an encounter with Tony Gum as her work transitions in different stages of a Xhosa woman. The exhibition is a story that is a poem, a song, a letter to She-She, the Being, who understands He/She/Them to be a force, like nature, a person who has been beaten, tried and tested yet is able to rise above it all, says Tony Gum.
As young people and young women, we find it easy to relate to Tony Gum because of the way her art is presented, simply yet unique. I love that ‘Ode To She’ will not only celebrate and the different transitions but it will also celebrate those transitions in relation to technology and fusing the modern and the traditional. With it being Heritage Month, I love how the exhibition is centred on culture and heritage and I hope that when young people get to see the exhibition, they will get to see our cultures and heritages are beautiful and important.
I believe in honouring our individual truths,” muses self-titled Creative Director, Tony Gum. “Our ability to pause, reflect, connect and celebrate that which makes each of us whole means we are better placed to recognize and respect this essence in others.- Tony Gum
Tony Gum’s Cape Town solo exhibition, ‘Ode to She’, is a combination of new work and past themes revisited with never before seen visuals. Experience this visual journey first-hand at the Christopher Moller Gallery in Cape Town from Friday, 29th September, 2017 until 3rd November, 2017. The artist will be celebrating this milestone with an ‘All Red’ themed after party on the night, all you have to do is follow the hashtag #TonyGumCalling for details.
www.instagram.com/tony_gum/ – #tonygumcalling #odetoshe
Afrikan Princess 